Tom,
If you are ever able to take a side by side pic. of the two different cables, please post it for the group.
In approx. '91 Athena and Xenon got a cheaper version of Syncro II levers. Plastic and paint were the main differences. I wasn't even aware that it wrapped a different amt. of cable compared to the standard Syncro II.
Marc Boral
Tom Dalton wrote:
> The two types of cables are distinctly different in
> their construction. I am familliar with the
> variations in color due to degree of oxidation, but
> this is a structural difference that I recall first
> noticing years ago and have seen many times since.
> While I sometimes think that I am able to hallucinate
> tiny differences between parts, this one is real. I
> have bugged Mike at Bicycle Classics while looking for
> the finer cables, and he was aware of the distinction.
>
> As for the Syncro stuff... sorry for second guessing
> you on the Syncro 1 cable thing. I never really saw
> many of those since they didn't work for most people.
> I went back and looked at my old Winning magazines to
> nail down the dates on which Campy first advertised
> certain items. This is not definative, but I think
> its as good as any other means for determining that
> first appearance of a Campy product in the 1980's.
> I'll post a brief list of my findings and ask for
> comments (later). One thing I did notice is that
> there was plenty of advertizing for the Syncro 1, but
> the Syncro 2 just kind of appeared. The question I
> have is this: Did the first Syncro 2 lever come out
> in two versions (large wrap for the 1990 Record double
> pivot der. and regular wrap for Athena, through
> Croce), or did the regular wrap model come out first?
> I guess the regular wrap model was interchangeable
> with the Syncro 1 because it had the same cable
> movement for a given amount of lever rotation. It
> seems to me that this is the only way the inserts
> would be the same.
>
> --- Marc Boral <mbikealive@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Yes Tom, I have NOS sets with the thinner stainless
> > cable........for the
> > second time :-) My literature says that the inserts
> > are interchangeable
> > for both Syncro & Syncro II.
> >
> > I am not sure about there being a difference in the
> > fat cables. I
> > understand your description, but I can't find any
> > difference between the
> > larger diameter gear cables. I've got hundreds of
> > examples from the
> > early years and the very last years. Here's an
> > observation though:
> > Gear cables prior to the mid '80s vary wildly in
> > their coloring. It
> > seems some of the strands tended to oxidize much
> > faster than other
> > strands within the same cable. Sometimes NOS cables
> > can be nice and
> > silver, consistently dull grey silver, darker grey,
> > silver w/dark grey
> > stripes............you get the picture. But on the
> > mid '80s cables,
> > they seem not to oxidize, so the color is brighter
> > and consistent.
> > Could it be that the older cables look to be
> > coarser, because of the
> > oxidized strands? But then that would not account
> > for your observation
> > of wind angle. Sorry, I don't have an answer.
> >
> > Marc Boral
> >
> > Tom Dalton wrote:
> >
> > > Marc:
> > >
> > > Do you have Syncro I's that were packed with the
> > > skinny cables? I had the impression that the
> > early
> > > ones were packed with wound stainless housing and
> > fat
> > > cables. Maybe that's why they never worked for
> > me, I
> > > was using the wrong cables... oh never mind, they
> > > never worked for anyone!
> > >
> > > Did the Syncro I's use the same inserts as the
> > II's? I
> > > recall the Chorus having it's own suite of inserts
> > for
> > > 6 and 7 speeds in both A and B positions and I
> > never
> > > thought of those as Syncro I fare. Thus I assumed
> > > that the II came out in support of the Chorus.
> > But we
> > > all know what happens when we assume...
> > >
> > > In any event, do you know the answer to the more
> > > pressing question (from my perspective) of when
> > the
> > > fat cables went from the coarse to the fine
> > windings?
> > >
> > > Tom Dalton
> > >
> > > --- Marc Boral <mbikealive@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > > > I respectfully disagree. All the NOS sets of
> > Syncro
> > > > (debut in '87) I
> > > > have, come with the thinner stainless cables.
> > > > Syncro II debuted in '88,
> > > > a year after Chorus.
> > > >
> > > > Marc Boral
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Tom Dalton wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > As I recall, the first generation Syncro
> > levers
> > > > used
> > > > > the heavy cables and the Snycro II's used the
> > > > skinny
> > > > > cables. Because the switch to an
> > > > index-appropriate
> > > > > cable on the Syncro II was the driving force
> > > > behind
> > > > > the change, it is the first appearence of
> > those
> > > > > shifters that you need to date. I realize
> > that I
> > > > am
> > > > > answering your question with another question,
> > but
> > > > it
> > > > > should be much easier to determine when Campy
> > > > > introduced a new indexing system than a new
> > type
> > > > of
> > > > > cable.
> > > > >
> > > > > My best guess on the intro of the Syncro II
> > would
> > > > be
> > > > > that it coincided with the intro of Chorus. I
> > > > think I
> > > > > remember first seeing ad for Chorus in the
> > fall of
> > > > > 1987.
> > > > >
> > > > > As a point of general info to all list
> > subscribers
> > > > I
> > > > > offer the following, and request correction if
> > I
> > > > am in
> > > > > error:
> > > > >
> > > > > The oldest Campy cables in my stash are made
> > up of
> > > > > heavy strands wound at a shollow angle
> > relative to
> > > > the
> > > > > length of the wire. The surface of the cable
> > is
> > > > > somewhat rough. The head is stamped with a
> > > > > C-in-diamond logo on top.
> > > > >
> > > > > The next newer cables are have the same
> > marking
> > > > and
> > > > > are the same thickness, but the starnds are
> > finer
> > > > and
> > > > > are wound at a steeper angle (they wind around
> > > > more
> > > > > times). The suface is smoother. I think
> > these
> > > > came
> > > > > around in the early 80's, but I have no real
> > basis
> > > > for
> > > > > that assertion.
> > > > >
> > > > > The next cables are identical to those above,
> > but
> > > > the
> > > > > logo is on the side of the head and is just a
> > > > plain C.
> > > > > I think of these as early C-record cables,
> > > > because
> > > > > they are what came with the retrofrictions.
> > That
> > > > puts
> > > > > them at 1985/86 to 1989 or so.
> > > > >
> > > > > As I mentioned above, I think the first thin
> > > > cables
> > > > > came with the first Syncro II's at the time of
> > the
> > > > > Chorus intro. If I'm wrong here it is likely
> > that
> > > > > they came out later when the large-wrap
> > Syncro's
> > > > came
> > > > > out to operate double pivot (Campag-nono?)
> > rear
> > > > ders
> > > > > in 1990.
> > > > >
> > > > > The only subsequent change that I have noticed
> > is
> > > > the
> > > > > revision of the C logo on the side of the
> > cable
> > > > end to
> > > > > a "C-in-circle" logo. This is an Ergopower
> > (CTI?)
> > > > > change that took place around 1994 (best
> > quess).
> > > > >
> > > > > Any better info on my dates?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > Tom Dalton
> > > > >
> > > > > P.S. sorry for straying into the 1990's but I
> > was
> > > > > hoping to provide an overview of my
> > observations.
> > > > The
> > > > > most relevant question to this group might be
> > when
> > > > the
> > > > > change from the first to the second of the
> > > > > above-referenced designs took place.
> > > > >
> > > > > Reid <bob.reid1@virgin.net> wrote:
> > > > > > I'm sure there is an instant answer to this
> > one
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
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